Every
day is an adventure at ECHO! ECHO Encounters, our brand
of daily hands-on activities, changes regularly with new
exhibit installations, new, dynamic volunteers willing
to share their expertise, and outside partners adding
their talents and knowledge to program events.

Wildlife Movie Marathon Weekend

Saturday, September 7, 2013 through Sunday, September 8, 2013
From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

View ECHO’s Wildlife movies and come dressed as your favorite wildlife animal! $2 off ECHO admission for each person (up to 4) dressed up as a wildlife animal! This discount is for adults as well as for children so let your imagination and creativity loose! Free with admission.

ECHO spent last summer filming in and around the Lake Champlain Basin on all sides of the Lake to capture compelling footage of animals that live in the region. Each film tells the story of the balance and imbalance these animals live with as they strive to keep their foothold and survive here.

Mink Frog: A delicate, beautiful frog with an unusual call (sounds like knocking), survives in shallow ponds where the temperature of the water means life or death. Dr. David Patrick, Assistant Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife at Paul Smith’s College, explains this predicament and what he is doing to study the delicate balance of habitat and climate upon which the mink frog’s survival depends. Runtime: 7 min. 18 sec.

Moose: Large and solid, the moose wanders in some of the densest forests in New England and in particular the Nulhegan Basin in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Vermont Fish and Wildlife expert Cedric Alexander takes us to this basin and begins the search for signs of moose. During the journey we learn about how the moose population has stabilized after decades of being scarce. A new threat to the moose population is the warming climate and human development. Runtime: 11 min. 38 sec.

Lake Sturgeon: Described as an “ancient fish” or “living fossil”, the lake sturgeon has remained basically unchanged for 90 million years. Today the lake sturgeon is a endangered species in Vermont. They are the largest fish in Lake Champlain and can achieve ages of up to 150 years. Eliminating human harvest has helped the species but, since they need to mature to 15 to 20 years before they spawn, it is the spawning streams that need to be protected. And, as the film shows, these streams are compromised by human development and more. Runtime: 8 min. 6 sec.

Spiny Softshell Turtle: In Vermont this turtle is a threatened species. This film talks about the “head start” program, a cooperative arrangement between ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. Each year the department’s rare species biologist Steve Parren, collects eggs from compromised nest sites. He takes them home and incubates them. In October the neonates come to ECHO to over-winter and grow to 2x the size they would normally have grown had they hatched in the wild and hibernated over the winter. This extra size gives them a boost in survival over their ‘classmates” when they are released into the wild in June. During their stay at ECHO, they serve as exceptional animal ambassadors teaching ECHO guests about the importance of protecting the fragile habitat and nesting sites of this dwindling species. Runtime: 12 min. 31 sec.

Bald Eagle: Majestic and striking, the bald eagle certainly catches attention. It was a thriving species in North America until the introduction of DDT in the 1940s and it was virtually wiped out of Vermont. Today it remains on the endangered list in Vermont and after decades of work, the eagle is returning to the state. John Buck of Vermont Fish and Wildlife tells us about the conservation efforts while Eddy Edwards, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Officer, takes us to an area in the Missisquoi River delta to view a nesting pair. Runtime: 9 min. 57 sec.